Portable air conditioner



Jan. 31, 195@ HOFFMAN 2,495,969

PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONER Filed Aug. 10, 1945 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jana 3L 195 0 F, HOFFMAN 2,4953%9 PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONER Filed Aug. 10, 1945 3 Sheets-$heet 2 WE Hoffman "1 mm 3T $95K HOFFMAN 2,4953%9 PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONER Filed Aug. 10, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ,[man

Patented Jan. 31, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ron'raerls AIR CONDITIONER William F. Hofiman, Paducah, Tex.

Application August 10, 1945, Serial No. 610,106

(c1. Mil-92) 1 Claim.

This present invention relates to portable air conditioning apparatus and its main object is the design of a humidifier that can be economically produced and which is adapted for use in raising the humidity of the air in homes, offices, apartments and small manufacturing plants where large humidifying systems could not advantageously be installed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a portable humidifier contained in an appropriately designed ornamental cabinet having inlet and outlet air openings and containin a fan to draw in dry air through rotating cooperating discs that dip into a vat and to force the humidified air into a room.

It is another objection of the invention to provide a humidifier f the type characterized in which the vat is automatically kept filled with water.

With these and other objects in view the invention resides in the novelty of construction, combination and arrangement of parts specifical- 1y hereinafter described and claimed in the appended claim.

The description should be read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a front elevation of the preferred embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 2- 2 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3;.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a rear elevation;

Figure 5 is a vertical detail section on line .5-5 of Fig. 2;

Figure 6 is a vertical detail section on line -6-6 of Fig. 2;

Figure 7 is a vertical detail section on line 'l-l of Fig. 1.

In the drawingsin which like characters of reference design-atelike or similar parts, numeral 2 denotes one of four casters each of which is affixed to the lower side and near the corners of a rectangular bottom wall 3 of a casing or cabinet 4. The same also includes front wall 5 and rear wall 6, side walls i and top wall 8, all joined to one another and/or to the bottom wall in a conventional. manner. .In each-of the four vertical corners of the casing is a corner post 9 secured to the walls forming the corner in conventional manner or by screws 10 (Fig. 2). In the corner formed by the top wall and side or front or rear walls are also similar posts secured in a similar manner to one or both of the walls forming the corner. These corner vposts not only reinforce the 2 casing, but also support certain movable parts still to be described.

The front wall of the casing has a relatively large central circular opening H. A vertically disposed fan guard i2 consists of a cylindrical part it of a diameter somewhat larger than the opening in the front wall of the casing and of a flange ring (Figs. 2 7). The same includes a cylindrical flange M surrounding the front portion of the cylindrical part and a flat annular flange i5. Between the rear side of the flange l5 and the front edge of the cylindrical part It may be clamped a circular wire screen It or the same may be fastened in some other way in the opening defined by the flat annular flange E5. The entire fan guard is mounted within the casing behind the front wall and in concentric relation to the opening therein. The lowermost portion of the flange part of the guard rests in a correspondingly shaped recess formed in corner post ll occupying the horizontal lower corner formed by the front and bottom walls (Fig. 7) This post is secured to the bottom wall by a screw Hi. The lowermost. part of the cylindrical section of the fan guard rests in a recess formed in a stri 18 attached by a screw as to the top side of the bottom wall. The head of the screw bears against a washer 2B placed against the netherside of the bottom wall.

Within the fan guard is a fan 2! having a hub 22 and a horizontally disposed shaft 23 extending rearwardy therefrom into a reduction gear housing 2d. The gearing is driven by a motor 25. Both the gear housing and motor 25 which receives current from a source (not shown), are supported by a plate 26 which extends forwardly from a gear box 2'! (Fig. 2). The same is filled with grease g to lubricate gearing still to 'be described.

The same includes a bottom wall 23, front and rear walls 29, side walls 35 and top wall 3 I. From the upper ends of either side wall and near a vertical corner extends one of a pair of spaced horizontal brackets 32 which are reinforced by overlying horizontal portions 33 of the top wall; these top wall portions extend beyond the side Walls and are secured to the brackets by screws 19 (Fig. 6) Each bracket has an aperture 35 near its free end for being interlinked with an eye 35 formed at the lower and inwardly disposed end of a brace rod 35 which is threaded into a nut forming part of a rotatable turn buckle part 31. The other nut receives the threaded part of an outer turn buckle rod 35 which carries an eye 35 at its outer end. This eye is interlinked with amaeeo 3 the opening of a bracket 40. Each bracket is angular and its vertical flange is supported and attached by fasteners Al to the front or rear faces respectively of one of the vertical corner posts 9. Thus the gear box is supported by four turn buckle braces centrally of the casing.

The motor 25 previously described has a shaft 42 which extends horizontally and rearwardly into the gear box and is journaled at 43 in the front and rear walls thereof (Fig. 2). Upon the rear portion of this shaft is formed a worm dd meshing with a worm gear 46 which is formed or fixed upon a transverse horizontal shaft 41' disposed beneath the motor shaft and journaled at 49 in the side walls. The shaft if is further provided with a spacing sleeve 59 between the worm gear and the adjacent interiorly enlarged bearing portion 29 of the nearer side wall and also carries a worm 52 adjacent the other side wall bearing :39 in which it is journaled.

The worm 52 meshes with a worm gear 54 fixed upon shaft 56 which is j ournaled in bearings 51? in the front and rear walls. Between the worm gear 54 and the nearest rear wall journal is a spacing collar 59. A bevel gear to is fixed upon the forward portion of shaft 55 and bears with its hub part against a journal 5? in the front wall.

The shaft 59 extends beyond the outer side of the rear wall of the gear box and carries upon its outer end near the rear wall of the casing a hub 63 from which radiate four spokes 64 each spaced 90 from its neighbour. These spokes support at their outer ends a cylindrical wall 65 of felt or rubber. The front and rear ends of the cylindrical wall are each covered with a screen 66. The evaporating disc 6'! described rotates with shaft 56 and behind a concentric opening 68 in the rear wall of the cabinet. This opening has the shape of a fragment of a circle because the height of the outer rear wall of a vat still to be described requires it. In either side wall is a similar opening for a similar evaporating disc fixed upon one end of a shaft still to be described. Each of the three evaporating discs will be mounted in a case or guard similar to the one shown and described as surrounding the fan. The outer sides of the side walls and rear wall near the openings for the air entering the casing will be covered with attractive ornamental designs.

The bevel gear 5t previously described meshes on either vertical side with a bevel gear Til secured to the inner end of a shaft 7i journaled in a bearing 72 in one of the side walls of the gear box. Each shaft ii carries a collar 50 bearing against the exterior surface of one of the side walls of the gear box and extends outwardly and each carries upon its outer end a cooperating disc 67 described. The same rotates behind a concentric opening 62 such as is formed in the rear wall.

A considerable portion of the lower half of each disc is immersed in water contained in a vat 13 having front walls 74, outer and inner side walls 75, inner and outer rear walls 13 and slanting rear walls 71. This vat is supported by corner posts 78 occupying the angles each formed by the lower end of a side wall and the bottom wall. A drain cock (not shown) in the bottom of the vat described may be opened to drain the water and prevent stagnation thereof.

Beneath the top wall of the casing is a water reservoir 8a from the bottom of which extends a tube 811 into the vat 73 to refill the same if necessary. The lower end of the tube carries a fioat valve which closes when the rising water in the vat reaches a certain level.

The rotation of the fan by the motor draws air into the casing through the rotating moistened cooperating discs. The air is washed and moistened and forced out of the casing through the front opening.

It is now clear that the embodiment of my invention obtains all of its intended objects in a highly efficient and satisfactory manner. Since the cabinet is of ornamental design and appearance and is readily portable, it may be conveniently and appropriately placed in any part of a residence or apartment without displeasing contrast with any of the furnishings.

Changes or modifications in the foregoing construction may be made by those skilled in the art without departure from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

An air conditioning apparatus comprising a housing having side walls, said side walls having openings therein, a vat for containing water disposed within the lower portion of the housing and underlying certain of said openings, rotary filters partly dipping in said vat, one of said openings having an air expelling fan mounted adjacent thereto and common means for operatingthe rotary filters and fan simultaneously, said rotary filters being located with at least one filter overlying each opening excepting the opening adjacent the fan, said means comprising a gear box, a motor for driving the fan, shafts extending from the rotary filters into the box, a shaft extending from the motor into the box and gears between the last mentioned shaft and the first mentioned shafts, and adjustable members extending from the corner portions of the box to upper portions of the interior of the housing for suspending said gear box.

WILLIAM F. HOFFMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,087,436 Kirby July 30, 1937 2,237,690 Robic Apr. 8, 1941 2,249,159 Moseley July 15, 1941 2,287,147 Stratton June 23, 1942 2,289,983 Moseley July 14, 1942 2,343,820 Thornton Mar. 7, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 393,117 Great Britain June 1, 1933 850,106 France Dec. 8, 1939 

